Iowa is one of 21 states with a mixed primary system. The primary is closed, but voters are allowed to change their political party affiliation on election day.[3]

The election will fill the Senate seat currently held by Tom Harkin (D). Harkin was first elected in 1984. On January 26, 2013, Harkin announced that he would not seek re-election once his current term expires. Upon his retirement, he will have served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. Prior to this, he served in the U.S. House for ten years. He told USA Today, "I have mixed feelings. You know what, it's somebody else's turn. To walk away from this position and this power is not an easy thing. But I think it's the right thing."[4]

If no Republican candidate gets 35 percent of the vote in the primary, a convention picks the nominee.[5] The nomination would be decided by 2,000 delegates during the convention.[5] The convention process begins in January 2014 with precinct caucuses, which then go to a March county convention, a district-wide convention in April and ultimately a statewide convention on June 14, 2014.[5]

Candidates

Note: Prior to the signature filing deadline, candidates will be added when Ballotpedia writers come across declared candidates. If you see a name of a candidate who is missing, please email us and we will add that name. As the election draws closer, more information will be added to this page.

Issues

Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition meeting

Four of the Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls spent the evening at a coalition meeting sponsored by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition on August 22, 2013, where they promised to defend life, traditional marriage, gun rights and Americans’ pocketbooks.[37] Each of the four candidates who accepted the invitation to the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition house party spent little time parsing the issues. Instead, they spoke of their shared values, their life experiences and Iowa common-sense.[37]

“There’s more common-sense on every street corner” in his hometown of Van Meter than in the nation’s capitol, David Young said, “and I will take it with me to Washington.”[37]

“We need a true conservative who will hold the line and say ‘no,’” said Matt Whitaker, who asked his audience for their support and for them to “go out and spread the word about the wonderful candidates you meet tonight.”[37]

That was, in fact, the point of the evening, according to Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, a non-profit advocacy and voter education group.[37] He encouraged those in attendance to help spread the candidates’ messages, to volunteer for their campaigns and contribute money.

“Our members want to know about issues ranging from the defense of unborn life to what can be done to fix the economy, but we also want to know and measure the character of our candidates,” Scheffler said. “These meetings will help flesh those questions out.”[37]

The 2014 race takes on special significance, Scheffler said, because it’s the first time since 1974 there has been an open-seat Senate race in Iowa. He emphasized the importance of unity among conservatives if Iowans are going to replace retiring Tom Harkin with someone who shares their values.[37]

“I’m not asking you to compromise, but bottom line, all of these candidates will agree with us on much more than what divides us,” Scheffler said. While there are some “non-negotiables like such as life and marriage,” he advised at getting into “spitting matches over little details."[37]

Polls

Republican primary

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Endorsements

It was assumed that the endorsement was likely to give Ernst some momentum in the competitive, multi-way race for the Republican nomination.[38]

“Joni Ernst represents the best of the Republican Party; she represents the best of Iowa,” Reynolds wrote in a guest opinion column in the Des Moines Register. “Joni does more than just talk about the policies and values she holds dear. She fights for them.”[38]

Campaign donors

Bruce Braley (D) reportedly transferred $179,000 from his U.S. House campaign account to his U.S. Senate campaign, and spent $113,000 in the first three months of the 2013.[39]Braley ended the first quarter of 2013 with $1,004,606 in cash on hand and reported that he already received contributions from Iowans in all 99 counties.[39] He announced on July 2, 2013 that he raised $1.25 million in the second quarter, from April 1 to June 30, and had $2 million in cash on hand.[40]

On July 9, 2013 Republican candidate Matt Whitaker reported raising $110,506 in campaign cash in the 27 days since he entered the race on June 3, 2013.[42] He had 134 donors from Iowa, which represents 78 percent of his donors.[42] A fundraiser featuring U.S. Sen.Chuck Grassley in Washington, D.C. is set for July 23.[42]

David Young (R) announced on July 9, 2013 his June 2013 fundraising efforts totaled $152,785 with $151,500 cash-on-hand at the end of the quarter.[43]

Joni Ernst raised $252,000 in her first fundraising quarter, according to reports on October 10, 2013.[44]

In a statement, Ernst said: ”I am incredibly thankful to those who have been so generous with their support over the last several weeks. Each and every contribution, no matter the amount, helps my campaign to continue to grow in momentum. I am excited to continue traveling the state and meeting with voters to share my vision of taking our shared Iowa values to Washington, D.C.”[44]

Sam Clovis raised $75,000 in the third quarter of 2013, after raising just $14,000 in the previous quarter.[45] He ended the quarter with about $35,000 in cash on hand.[45]

Outside spending

The National Republican Senatorial Committee announced a new effort targeting representativeBruce Braley, “batting for Obamacare,” on August 16, 2013.[46] The group plans on releasing seven billboards in Des Moines accusing Braley of hurting Iowans by supporting Obamacare.[46] The billboards have a baseball theme, with four versions of a scoreboard that cite families, farmers, seniors and small businesses as the losers when it comes to the federal health care law.[46] As part of the effort the group will also launch a website, WrongTeamBraley.com, which shows Braley wearing a baseball cap with the Obama campaign logo.[46]

Endorsements

Bruce Braley

“Folks, you have been so kind and generous to me in all of the years I have represented you in both the House and 30 years in the Senate,” Harkin said. “I want you to know there is only one person I want to pass that baton to, and that’s our next United States’ senator, Bruce Braley.”[47]

Vice President Joe Biden also endorsed Braley.[47]“I’ve gotten to get to know Bruce,” Biden said. “Tom admires him, and it’s why I think he is going to be a great senator. He is absolutely authentic. I told Bruce I would come campaign for him or against him, whichever would help him most.”[47]

Gabrielle Giffords, and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, took part in a fundraiser in Des Moines on October 27, 2013.[48]